These days it seems every chef and restaurant is always trying to one up each other to see who can serve the most bold dish. But sometimes we don’t want fusion … or even the chicest decor. We just wan’t old-school, get-right-to-it spaghetti and meatballs and red-checker tablecloths.  These Italian joints offer the best old-school meals around Cleveland.

These days it seems every chef and restaurant is always trying to one up each other to see who can serve the boldest dish or the newest fusion of flavors. That’s great, but sometimes we just want old-school, get-right-to-it spaghetti and meatballs and red-checker tablecloths.  These Italian joints offer the best old-school meals around Cleveland.

Johnny’s Bar 3164 Fulton Rd., Cleveland This timelessly elegant, little jewel box of a restaurant is the sort of place you suggest when you want to impress the boss, wow a date, or just remind yourself why you work so damn hard. The menu is crammed with upscale Italian specialties, including some stunning risottos and one of the city’s finest long-boned veal chops; at lunch, though — pssst — the char-grilled burger is out of this world. Photo via Johnny’s Bar on Fulton/Facebook
Stino da Napoli 19070 Old Detroit Rd., Rocky River “Delicate,” “precise,” and “beautifully balanced” are just a few of the terms that spring to mind when we recall the preparations at this little gem of an Italian restaurant. While nearly every dish is as close to perfection as any kitchen is likely to come, the ephemeral gnocchi, the fork-tender veal, and the homemade desserts are so exactly right, they nearly make us weep. Photo via Stino Da Napoli/Facebook
Pepper’s 12401 Detroit Ave., Lakewood “Incredibly delicious Italian food! This tiny corner neighborhood restaurant turns out fantastic pastas, pizzas, piccatas, and more. I love their mussels! We have got their food many times. I have tried quite a few items on their menu and I have been extremely pleased every time. They are also just real nice people,” Cathe C. on Yelp Photo via Scene Archives
Maxi’s 12113 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland Like an old friend, Maxi’s is always there when you need her. For 15 years, this romantic Little Italy gem has been keeping neighbors and visitors happy the easy way: by dishing up consistently delicious plates of soul satisfying Italian foods, namely pastas, pizza and veal-based entrees, but the appetizers are the way to go here — get a bunch for the table and you’ll only need a couple orders of cavatelli or farfalle pasta and you’re good to go. Photo via Maxi’s In Little Italy/Facebook
Mama Santa’s 12301 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland Mama Santa’s has been serving up pies at the same Little Italy location since 1961. With its retro vibe, cheap wine, and stunningly inexpensive Italian eats, there’s no need to change much. Thin, greaseless, crisp-crusted pizza is the specialty of the casa; when you and the gang can score a 15-incher for less than 10 bucks, who cares if there’s a wait for a table? Photo via Mama Santa’s Pizzeria/Facebook
Johnny’s Bar 3164 Fulton Rd., Cleveland Dark, intimate, and timelessly elegant, this manly little jewel box of a restaurant is the sort of place you suggest when you want to impress the boss, wow a date, or just remind yourself why you work so damn hard. The menu is crammed with upscale Italian specialties, including some stunning risottos and one of the city’s finest long-boned veal chops; at lunch, though — pssst — the char-grilled burger is out of this world. Photo via Johnny’s Bar on Fulton/Facebook
Jo Jo Carloni’s 627 West Bagley Rd., Berea Despite its zip code, the snug space had all the Old World charm of our favorite spag-and-ball joints in Little Italy, where descriptors like “gourmet” and “trendy” are replaced by “hearty” and “comforting” and “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.” This spot is definitely worth the drive. Photo via Jo Jo Carloni’s/Facebook
Guarino’s 12309 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland Established in 1918, Guarino’s in Little Italy is Cleveland’s oldest restaurants and is still a family operation. While the decor tends toward Victoriana, the kitchen’s pasta, veal and seafood dishes are all Italian. Photo via Guarino’s/Facebook
Geraci’s 2266 Warrensville Center Rd., University Heights For more than 60 years, Geraci’s, which has been owned by just one family throughout its storied history, has been serving up delicious pizzas and other Italian staples to University Heights residents. This Summer, they’ll expand further east to Pepper Pike, but the pizza will stay the same. The thick-cut pepperoni on the pizza is the star of the show here. Photo via Scene Archives
Eddie’s Pizzeria Cerino 7305 Broadview Rd., Seven Hills Too often, Italian joints go heavy on the comfort and light on the quality. Not so here where owner Eddie Cerino approaches traditional Italian food less like a grandmother and more like a chef. And thanks to half orders of salad and pasta, diners have control over portion size and price. The same goes for Cerino’s Lakewood outpost, which is cozy, busy, and slings a perfect menu of Italian favorites that don’t skimp on quality. Photo via Eddie’s Pizzeria Cerino/Facebook
Bruno’s Ristorante 2644 West 41st St., Cleveland Stepping into this cozy neighborhood ristorante – with its wooden bar, linoleum floors, and menu of pizza, pasta, and assorted parmigianas, cacciatores, and marsalas – is like traveling back in time to the days when Italian restaurateurs baked their own breads, made their own pastas, and served it all in charming, intimate spaces. Almost everything on the “full-meal deal” menu is delish. But when it comes to fried calamari and baked lasagna, Bruno’s scores among the very best. Photo via Bruno’s Ristorante/Facebook
Michaelangelo’s 2198 Murray Hill Rd., Cleveland Chef Michael Annandono’s seasonal menu is built on luxurious ingredients. Whether it’s the prosciutto-wrapped wild-boar chops, homemade veal-stuffed cannelloni, or tagliolini tossed in a ragout of duck, veal, and guinea fowl, the food transcends ordinary Italian while still having that traditional feel. Photo via Michaelangelo’s/Facebook
D’Agnese’s 1100 West Royalton Rd., Broadview Heights Head out to Broadview Heights and you won’t be disappointed. Italian food lovers swear by this place and it’s easy to see why. The Shrimp D’Agnese’s and the eggplant parmesan are real standouts here. Photo via @JMVranic/Instagram
Aldo’s 8459 Memphis Ave., Cleveland This place is so old school, they don’t even have a website. But it doesn’t matter, because the food is so good. This hidden gem, that only contains about 12 tables total, is located in Old Brooklyn. Start with the hot peppers and calamari and finish up with the linguini. Photo via Aldo’s Restaurant/Facebook
La Dolce Vita 12112 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland The regulars at this Little Italy joint swear by it. You won’t catch them at any other Italian restaurant. The kitchen serves up homestyle Italian food; the staff offers even homier hospitality, and a quirky sense of fun plants tongue firmly in cheek. On live opera nights, a tenor spices-up an eight-course dinner served between musical interludes. Photo via La Dolce Vita Cleveland/Facebook
Lockkeepers 8001 Rockside Rd., Valley View One of the best Italian spots in town is located in a beautiful setting on the historic Erie Canal and Cuyahoga River. But the picturesque setting is hardly the only star of the show here. The veal chop parmigiano, sausage-stuffed peppers and seafood fra diavolo pasta are all to die for. Photo via Lockkeepers/Facebook
Angelo’s Nido Italia 12020 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland No restaurant in town feels more like you’re stepping into the set of “The Godfather” than Little Italy’s Nido. The front, more modern bar leads into a banquet hall in the back, where you can just picture the wedding from the film taking place. And the chicken picatta is to die for. Photo via Mama Santa’s Pizzeria/Facebook
Trattoria 12207 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland There’s so much good Italian in Little Italy that it’s easy to overlook a couple places. But don’t overlook Trattoria. The penne pasta arrabiata is perfect, the wine list is great and their patio is perfect for that cool summer evening that will eventually get here. Photo via Trattoria Roman Gardens/Facebook
Etna 11919 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland This romantic, tightly packed Little Italy spot is one of the best Italian restaurants in town. A great wine list, authentic menu items and a dark ambience recalls the Old Country that created this remarkable cuisine. Photo via Etna Ristorante/Facebook
Scotti’s Italian Eatery 882 East 185th St., Cleveland Opening in 1999 on E. 185 St., the spot is not only known for slinging high-quality pizzas and calzones, along with other Italian fare, but also for its cool oasis of an outdoor patio. Scotti’s is definitely of the more underrated spots in town. Photo via Scotti’s Italian Eatery/Facebook
Mama Catena Vino e’ Cucina 711 Babbitt Rd., Euclid “Mama Catena’s, oh how I love you! That pasta, that sauce, and those meatballs, not to mention the cannoli! A friend turned me on to this place a few months ago and I have been obsessed ever since. They welcome you like family, the food tastes like my Italian Grandma made it and the portions are perfect. I drive all the way from Chardon to pick up take out at the request of my kids. This restaurant is top notch!,” Renee P. on Yelp. Photo via Mama Catena Vino/Facebook
Corleone’s 5669 Broadview Rd., Cleveland If “youthful” and “edgy” are what it takes to toss your trenne, this snug little restaurant at the far end of a Parma strip plaza may not be your kind of place. But if good-tasting Italian fare, brought forth in large portions at reasonable prices, is what makes your Alfredo creamy, look no further than the dimly lit Corleone’s, which shares a strip center with a craft store, a bargain outlet and a hair salon. Photo via Corleone’s Ristorante & Bar/Facebook
Osteria di Valerio & Al 1801 East 9th St., Cleveland The anonymous phrasemaker who said “Good things come in small packages” surely didn’t have this tiny Italian restaurant in mind, but he could have: The Warehouse District’s smallest upscale dining room more than compensates with big quotas of flavor and style and one of the most authentic Italian joints around. Photo via Osteria Di Valerio & Al/Facebook

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